New Heter: Blind people can touch their dates

byHeshy FriedonJuly 16, 2009

Besides for a heter for male masturbation, eating meat during the 9 days and not wearing tzitzis when it goes over 70 degrees – I think what all us single guys want is a heter for touching the opposite sex. Seriously, the problem with shidduchim for me has always been the fact that you make all that trouble and you know without a doubt that you will not be getting any at the end of the night.

Enter Rabbi Sherlo (obviously trying to get his 15 minutes of fame) who says blind people can touch their dates, well no, he says they can “feel” their dates – because halichically you have to see your woman before you marry her, but since the guy is blind, he feels things instead. Time to get out your walking sticks folks!

According to Rabbi Sherlo the head of Petah Tikvah Hesder Yeshiva:

“This is the way a blind man gets to know his partner,” the rabbi said in response to a halachic question he was asked. “It may even be correct to say that he is required to touch her.” Read the full article on Ynet News, I can almost guaruntee you that the comments section on the Vos Iz Neias post which was hijacked from Ynet (hence the reason for no link) should get interesting.

Wow I wonder if people who are hard of seeing but not legally blind can use this heter?

Hey semi-blind folks, it may not be worth it to get Lasek …

I can only imagine a blind guy at the Brooklyn Marriott feeling his dates face while all the other dates look in horror and call the tznius police.

Does this mean that he can feel all of her, since he wants to know what all of her parts “look” like. How on earth will a girl be convinced of this rulings validity?

Hey baby can I touch you, take a look at this heter…

What about women, can they touch the man if they are blind, I noticed the ruling didn’t talk about blind women. Or since women are on a higher “spirtual level” then men (classic frummy talk) they don’t care about what their husband will look like.

I am waiting for the first cases of people pretending to be blind so they can do some Rabbinically permitted pre-marital touching.